Timely Encounters
by Aerysa
Summary: With a tightly scheduled, multi-phase mission on his hands, Hei finds himself distracted from it, and the evening turns from long into longer...


This story is dedicated to the awesome Sakabatou77, who I had the pleasure of meeting in person this year.

In the end, I never did get you anything for your birthday, so this is to make up for that fact. Though Haruko said I "didn't have to", it's never about something that I have to do, but rather about something that I want to do! Besides, this is the first time I can say this story was written for you. (There have been a million for Haruko and a handful for Bri... Lol!)

In terms of time setting, this story doesn't fit anywhere in any of the seasons, or in between seasons. As for the plot line, you can blame Haruko if you don't like it because the story was prompted by a suggestion she had made XD

And given how late this is when your birthday was two weeks ago, it didn't undergo the stringent editing/proof-reading process that I usually give my chapters/stories. So if anyone notices any mistakes, please let me know! Enjoy!

* * *

**Timely Encounters**

Racing along the lifeless street, Hei was headed for the second rendezvous point. Phase two of the mission was to retrieve a key from the old abandoned hotel. From there, he was to reunite with Mao who was tailing their target. The Syndicate wanted him dead and there was a narrow window in which he was vulnerable since he would be isolated from his bodyguards.

As he approached the entrance, Hei turned to check his surroundings and his eyes widened in surprise. A couple blocks away, he spotted the feisty female police officer headed his way. Even as he darted into the building, he wondered how she had found him. There was a short period of time when he had been active earlier, but that had been in the neighboring ward.

Typically he didn't mind waiting for her since he enjoyed their interactions, but this was one evening where he didn't have time. There was a tight schedule he needed to follow. Despite that fact, there was nothing he could do to stop her. As luck would have it, she came charging into the hotel just as he found what he was searching for. It had been hidden inside one of the reception area drawers; which one specifically, no one had bothered to tell him.

Rather than taking his chances with escape by going passed her, he followed his tried and true methods. Just as she was aiming her weapon at him, he dashed for the emergency stairwell. Most people would take it to come down to safety, but he used it to gain access to the roof; a trick he had used on many occasions in the past.

It was a traditional style building which had been constructed prior to the age of technological advances. There was one elevator that had been decommissioned when the place had been closed down. Even then, the place only had four floors and it would be easy enough to reach the top on foot. Once there, he could make his way across to the neighboring building and halt her progress.

After running up the stairs and reaching the roof, he stopped for a quick breather. Despite the knowledge that he was cutting it close on time, he couldn't seem to break his habit. Whenever these opportunities arose, his body acted before his brain had time to analyze the situation; he instinctively wanted to interact with her and prolong their limited time together.

He wasn't disappointed when she burst through the roof door a few minutes later. During that lag time, he had already assessed his position and realized that there was nothing for him to throw his wire around on the building next door. The only way he would escape was to do things the old-fashioned way and jump the two-meter distance, but it wouldn't be an issue.

"Put your hands up, BK-201!" Misaki shouted. "You are under arrest!"

Turning his head to glance at her, he watched as she raised her arm and leveled her gun at him. The other arm came up to steady her weapon and she showed no signs of hesitation. Then again, she never did until he actually made a move to escape. Instead of obeying her instructions, he lowered his center of gravity and readied himself for the sprint before he launched himself across that empty space.

Though his actions clearly did not align with her demands, she didn't fire at him. When she made no other move, Hei took off, dashing towards the ledge of the roof. It had been a while since he had to do this without an anchor point, but his body was conditioned for this type of action. There was no hesitation when he reached the ledge, stepped up onto it and launched himself towards the other building.

When he cleared the opposite ledge, he tucked his body into itself so he could roll to a stop. The blood in his system was filled with adrenaline as he finally stood and brushed himself off. With this, he turned to glance at the officer who he had left behind; only to find that his blood suddenly ran cold as his heart leapt into his throat.

For whatever reason, she was not behaving as expected because she was now copying his very actions; obviously thinking she could clear the distance since he had done so unaided. Once again, he could do absolutely nothing to stop her. There was not one doubt in his mind that she wouldn't make it because she didn't have the skill or the strength to successfully complete a jump like this.

Quickly, his eyes scanned for something he could latch his wire around. He had just clipped it around a rusted leg of a water tank when he saw her flying towards him. The path she had taken had been clear, except she missed her mark by ten inches. When she realized she wouldn't make it, panic settled in and her legs flailed in the air even as she tried to throw herself forward so she could grip the ledge with her hands.

Without thinking twice, Hei dived into the empty void between the buildings. She was falling much too quickly, but he managed to catch her. Activating the breaking function on his belt, he stopped their vertical descent. Holding her tightly to his chest, he needed a few moments to regain his composure before he brought them back to the safety of the roof.

"You idiot!" he yelled, unable to restrain his fury. "Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

At his angry tone of voice, her head snapped up to look at him. If it weren't for the near death experience, he was certain she normally wouldn't have accepted that type of reprimand. He should have known that getting angry wasn't going to help; the words had just slipped out as the whole ordeal had shaved years off of his life.

As she glanced up at him, the recognition of their true circumstances had been wiped out of her mind. Instead, her lips trembled as her hands clutched tentatively at his shoulders. They weren't quite tears that trickled down her cheeks, but Hei could see the wetness pooling in her eyes. Even without him shouting at her, she knew better than he did what she had just endured.

Inwardly cursing himself for being a heartless cad, he loosened his hold on her before gently enveloping her within the warmth of his embrace. Though she had pulled an unexpectedly brainless act, she was now safe. He had seen to it. Crushing her with a bruising strength was not going to help anyone and she needed comforting more than harsh accusations.

"There, there," he finally murmured when her tears did begin to fall. "You're safe now."

Her body trembled as the gravity of her actions settled in her mind, clearly shaken up by the ordeal. Before he was the Black Reaper, he was now her lifesaver; the firm foundation when everything else had turned into all-encompassing blackness. Desperately, she clung to him and he rubbed his hand soothingly up and down her back.

Mao's voice buzzed in his ear, reminding him that they were running out of time, but there was nothing he could do. He would not leave Misaki when she wasn't herself. Though they would miss their opportunity, that was the least of his worries. He couldn't possibly ask what insane thought had passed through her head, but he could hold her tightly until she regained some semblance of self-control.

In this vulnerable state, she was depending on him for strength and comfort; her entire body pressed closely against his as her arms were wrapped around his neck. The tears that trickled down her face slid silently down his back, impermeable through his jacket. With her head resting on his shoulder, she snuggled up against his neck; he could feel every breath that she inhaled and exhaled.

Though it was neither the time nor place, he inwardly groaned as his body reacted to her close proximity. She was normally so self-assured and competent; he had never seen this side of her before. The forbidden nature of their current situation was more alluring than anything he had ever experienced. He was pleased that he had been the one to witness it, even if he was going to require a cold shower after the fact.

It seemed that she was slowly calming down as her sobbing had subsided into the occasional sniffle. Even so, she showed no signs of releasing him. This was a tricky situation for him. If he wasn't careful, he could unintentionally reveal something he didn't want to. Despite her current behaviour, she would overcome the shock and she would still recall everything that happened.

With that thought in mind, he decided he needed to leave. Others on her team were sure to be searching for her. He already overstayed his welcome. In spite of loosening his hold on her, she showed no signs of moving, completely comfortable where she was. As much as he loved the idea of babying her, he couldn't. This wasn't the ideal place for that anyways.

When he gently pried her away from him, she continued to hold onto him, reluctant to let go. She gazed into his eyes, imploring him to stay. No words were spoken between them, but the quiver of her lips drew his attention to them; suddenly faced with the unhealthy desire to kiss her and promise that everything would be alright.

She still didn't recognize that he was the Black Reaper, but he knew he couldn't take the risk. Rather than verbally replying, he pressed the back of his fingertips to her cheek, caressing its softness as he wiped away the residual wetness. A tender emotion welled up in his heart, succumbing to the protective nature he felt for her.

As if on cue to remind him of the delicacy of this encounter, the cell phone in her pocket began to vibrate. Though she ignored it, he was certain one of her subordinates was looking for her. Lightly cupping her face with his palm, he allowed his touch to linger as he reached into her blazer pocket. Setting her on the ground of the roof, rather than on top of him, he finally pulled away and placed the noisy phone in her hand.

She glanced down at it to determine who was calling. The screen was illuminated, displaying Kouno's name. Blinking at it a few times, her mind was still hindered by unalleviated traces of disorientation. When she looked up from the phone, it was to find that she was alone, sitting on the rooftop of a building.

A frown puckered her features as she answered the call and put the device to her ear. Her subordinate's voice came through loudly and frantically, inquiring about her current location. Remaining silent, she had to forcefully sort through her memories of the last fifteen minutes as everything was a jumbled mess. When she finally recalled what had occurred, all she could do was reply with a gasp.

* * *

Distracted by the phone he had placed in her possession, Hei took that moment to create distance between him and the female officer. Time and time again, she proved to be a distraction and this time was no different than the others. Because of her psychotic stunt, he had missed the timing for phase three of the mission. Huang was sure to flip out on him, but that was nothing new in their turbulent relationship. Even if he had successfully completed the mission, the man was sure to find something to criticize.

"_What happened?"_ Mao asked.

"Where's the target?"

"_Gone. He joined up with his team again."_

"Next time," Hei stated. "I got the key."

"_What happened?"_ the cat repeated.

"I'm heading home since there's nothing we can do now," he answered, purposely ignoring the question.

He was not about to share with anyone that he had just spent a blissful few moments holding the attractive police officer safely within his arms. Though he had enjoyed the sweetness of that peaceful interlude, he needed to calm the raging hormones within his system; he could feel her pressed up against him like he was still embracing her.

Pulling out the earpiece, he switched it off before he shoved it into his pocket. Once again racing along the deserted street, he made his way into one of the darkened alleyways. Beneath the safety of its cover, he reverted back into his college student persona. On top of the cold shower he needed, he needed time to think.

The fact that Misaki had pulled such a daredevil move still bothered him. She was practical and predictable; nothing she had done this evening fit with her typical behaviour. There was no way she should have been able to find him as they purposely decided to act under the radar; unless someone had tipped her off, but who and more importantly, why?

In spite of the lengthy evening stroll, his thoughts were still entangled with this mystery when he arrived at his apartment complex. Languidly making his way up the steps, he was no closer to arriving at a hypothesis, let alone a conclusion regarding Misaki's out of character behaviour. If someone had purposely put her up to this, he wanted to know who it was. It wouldn't be the first time he needed to protect her from herself.

Entering his home, he continued to ponder on this predicament as he slipped out of his jacket and threw it to the side. Cleaning up after himself could come later; after he had that much required shower and settled on some plan of action regarding Misaki. The only person he knew of who would do something so underhandedly sneaky was Oreille. Just the thought of the blonde was enough to trigger a throaty growl.

On his way to the bathroom, he undid the buttons of his shirt, pulling it off and tossing it onto the closed lid of the toilet. He was in the process of undoing his pants when he suddenly noticed something strange. Not only were the lights of his bathroom turned on, but there was actually someone using his shower… His mind had been distracted to the point that he missed something that obvious.

Warily, he stepped forward, ready to confront the intruder when the person inside acted before he did. The shower curtain was pulled aside and his mouth dropped open when he recognized who it was. She was the last person he would ever expect to see. Standing before him, completely unembarrassed about her state of undress, Amber gazed at him like it was perfectly normal for her to be stepping out of his shower.

The only sign of surprise that she showed were a few rapid blinks of her eyes. Despite the impropriety of the situation, she made no move to cover herself. Instead, she calmly allowed him to fill his gaze; surprisingly, appearing before him in her adult form when he had last seen her as a youthful teenager.

His natural reaction was to gawk at her, unable to look away. Her long hair was pinned up, out of the way, providing a clear view of her slender neck. Water droplets trickled along her skin, sliding from her shoulders down to her shapely breasts before continuing their downward path along her trim figure.

It was both rude and perverted, but his eyes were transfixed on her chest; amazed and aroused by the flawlessness of her lustrous skin. Given her obeisance and their typical meetings, he had forgotten what a beautiful woman she was – curvy and soft in all the right places. Only when he heard her light chuckle did he painstakingly wrench his eyes away from her body.

"Pass me that towel, would you?" she inquired softly.

Swallowing audibly, he had no choice but to obey. His eyes never left hers as he grabbed the requested item off of the sink counter. Feeling quite foolish, he meekly handed it to Amber when normally he would be demanding to know where his sister was, the moment he spotted her – not tonight. First dealing with Misaki and now her, he just wasn't himself; too much stimulation for him to handle with his usual composure.

The towel was wrapped around her body before she gracefully stepped out of the tub, forcing Hei to retreat with backward steps unless he wanted her to be standing on him. The small bathroom hardly provided enough distance between them, but he refused to run like he was terrified of her, just because she happened to be unabashedly naked.

She seemed to know his thoughts because a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, though she didn't say anything. Instead, she pulled at the pen that had been used to hold up her hair. No longer anchored in place, the length of it gradually unwound itself, cascading around her shoulders. It was a common seductive ploy used in television and movies; he finally discovered why that act was so appealing.

"What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly, trying to hide his discomfort.

"I should be asking you that since you're earlier than I expected."

"You're spying on me?" he accused.

"On the contrary, I had something to tell you."

"… And you enter people's home and use their shower, just because?"

Hei realized he was stupidly arguing over irrelevant issues, but that was all that came to mind; still reeling from the impact of dealing with these two women he found himself attracted to. Suddenly his eyes narrowed as he glared at her. His initial suspicion had been targeted at Oreille, but the woman currently standing in front of him was equally capable of pulling strings behind the scene.

"What is it now?" she asked calmly.

Glaring at her for a minute longer, his expression finally cleared. He would not voice his worries to her, but he realized she wouldn't have done something to purposely put Misaki, or anyone else, in danger like that. She was many things, but she would never hurt an innocent. It still left him with a complication on his hands, but he felt reassured with that conclusion.

"Hei?"

Despite the gentleness of her voice, it cut through the cobwebs in his mind with the sharpness of a katana. When his eyes refocused on his physical reality, he was reminded of this bizarre encounter he was having. Apparently, the bathroom was his location of choice when it came to private conversations; reminded of his chat with Misaki back at Qing Long Tang's hotel bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" he inquired once more.

"Issei Shirasagi… A future target they will want you to kill," she added when he showed no recognition of the name. "Don't."

Again, his eyes narrowed as he watched her. She had never been this direct when it came to influencing his actions. In the past, she had asked him to join Evening Primrose, but she had ultimately left the decision in his hands. For her to come into the future and outright tell him something of this nature, it had to be major. Realizing this, he still didn't feel inclined to accept her instructions.

"I can't explain too much, but I will say his existence is crucial for ours, moving ahead into the future."

Tempted to ask for more, Hei decided to keep his mouth shut because she wouldn't tell him more than what was necessary. She had always been that way, even preferring to minimize direct contact where possible. It would be up to him to determine how to respond; if he should follow her instructions or the Syndicate's – when the time came.

"That's all," she suddenly said airily. "Now if you would give me some space, I need to get going."

For a moment, he had no idea what she was talking about until she started fussing with the towel wrapped around her. After taking in his fill of her body and now seeing it covered, barely, his own reacted to the stimulation. Suddenly, everything he experienced this evening in that department hit him triple-fold and he quickly turned on his heel to make his escape. He could hear her giggling as he closed the door behind his exit and took a few steps away before he let out a frustrated groan.

His long night had just turned out to be unbelievably longer. Though he knew it was a futile thought after the fact, he should have left to continue his mission the moment Misaki was safe. Clearly, Amber had seen a future where he had succeeded because she had expected him later than when he truly arrived. At this point, he would have preferred that scenario; he wouldn't have to deal with the physical and visual memories that were now imprinted on him.

Waiting for a few minutes, he strained to hear sounds from his bathroom. The only thing to reach his ears was the ticking of the clock in the living area. Taking this as a sign that she had gone on her way, Hei approached the closed door and slowly opened it. The room was vacant just as he expected it to be, the borrowed towel hung up on the wall hook while his shirt was neatly folded.

Letting out a relieved sigh, he quickly turned on the shower before he pulled at his pants. They were uncomfortably tight and the faster he could throw himself underneath that stream of cold water, the better. His entire evening was ruined for more reasons than one and the following day was going to be hell…


End file.
